This controversial ruling throws the Work Programme, a central plank of Iain Duncan Smith’s initiatives, into question. Similar to the scheme that Ms Reiley was signed onto, the Work Programme time-limits benefits by automatically signing claimants up for intensive support; those aged 18-24 years must join up after nine months on benefit, and the over-25s after a year. And if they refuse this assistance, they risk having their benefits get cut.

These parameters underpin the success of a whole programme of welfare reform and their removal would strike the heart of the Tories' flagship social policy. Moving people into work relies not just on incentive, but also a set of terms and conditions.

The implementation of Universal Credit, which lets claimants keep some of their benefits when they start a job and in doing so makes work pay, provides a much-needed carrot.

A carrot, however, means little without a stick. And the threat of having no more benefit payments – life support money – is this stick. It is the linchpin of reform. It gives social workers a bargaining chip, and gives an incentive to the unemployed – often under confident, insecure and with no experience – to turn up at the start of the day.

For the 420,000 18-24 year olds that are claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, we need policies based on these principals to get them into work.

Far too often, these young people are left stranded in unemployment, their talents ignored and potential wasted. But these schemes give them a helping hand. They give them the basic skills that they don’t learn in school; turning up on time, working with a team and taking instruction and responsibility. And they can bulk up a CV, have a job interview and gain a referee.

Basic as this might sound our young job hunters don’t have these skills. Many are without a CV. Most are without experience.

As such we shouldn’t be too quick to write off the back-to-work scheme, and certainly not welfare reform.Back-to-work schemesare not 'slavery'.

The DWP have a long road ahead, but it’s a most important one and must be travelled.

Lottie Dexter is director of the Million Jobs campaign, which launched in January 2013, and stands up for young people without work. The campaign is calling for government, companies and communities to make a big, organised effort to give our young people a first shot.